


SALVE (Hello and Goodbye)

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Better Things [3]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 22:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20265793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: "Congratulations, Father. You've found the one hell even I can't escape." (A wildly belated AU postep/fix to 2x13, aka that one time Lucifer deliberately went to Hell to get Chloe's antidote.)





	SALVE (Hello and Goodbye)

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this is so out of date as to be utterly irrelevant, but the thought grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Forgive me for shouting into the void.

Dreaming about Lucifer wasn’t exactly new. But in her dreams, Chloe always tried so damn hard to make sure he sounded happy.

“Congratulations, Father.” Lucifer’s voice was quiet, but the bitter grief in it was enough to slice through even the strongest drugs the hospital had given her. “You’ve found the one hell even I can’t escape. A nightmare even the Devil himself never fathomed.”

Panic-induced adrenaline chased away the last dregs of her unconsciousness, and her eyes opened to the dim light of the hospital room. Lucifer was standing at the window, staring out into the night, and she had the sudden, terrible feeling he was about to unfurl his wings and fly away. He hadn’t been there when she’d woken up the first time, and Chloe had been terrified that the effort of being with her had finally become more trouble than it was worth. He’d been so cavalier about going to hell for her before, but now he’d done it twice. She couldn’t possibly be worth _that,_ especially since it sounded like this last trip had been so much worse than the first one.

But she couldn’t just let him fly away without a word. “Lucifer.”

Her voice was a barely audible rasp, but he turned to her as if he’d been jolted. “Chloe.” The way he said her name was so soft, full of love and grief and all the pain in the world, and Chloe felt her own eyes sting as he crossed the room to her side. “Forgive me for not being here earlier. I just…”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest of the sentence. “It’s okay.” She caught his hand as he reached for her, threading their fingers together. “You went to hell for me, again.”

He squeezed his eyes shut against the thought, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’d do it a thousand times over,” he breathed, making her throat tighten. “But I’d prefer you stay healthy enough that I don’t have to.”

She didn’t try to drag him closer, no matter how much she wanted to, but even when he straightened she held on tightly to his hand. “It sounded worse this time.”

Lucifer went still. “What exactly did Amenadiel tell you?”

“You did.” She watched his face, wishing there was more light. “You said it was a nightmare.”

He winced at that, the air escaping his lungs like he’d been punched. “Ah, that.” He didn’t say anything for a long moment, then lifted their joined hands to press a kiss against the back of hers. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s about you. Of course I’m going to worry about it.”

He closed his eyes again, dragging the chair closer with his foot before sitting down next to her bed. When he opened his eyes again, he took a deep breath. “We… discovered recently that Amenadiel arranged for your birth. Special dispensation, as it were.”

This time, it was Chloe’s turn to go still. “That makes sense.” She tried hard to keep her voice steady. “If God really meant me as a weapon against you, he’d want me to be born at the right time.”

Lucifer’s lips curved, but she could see the glimmer of tears in his eyes. “You are a weapon. One far more clever and brutal than I would have expected from the old man.” His thumb stroked back and forth over her knuckles, his gaze a million miles away. “But it’s not because being near you makes me mortal.”

Chloe’s chest twisted. “Lucifer, I would _never _hurt you.”

“Yes, you will.” He focused on her again, expression utterly heartbreaking. “You won’t be able to help it. No matter how safe you are, no matter how many more times I’m willing to go to hell to save your life, you have maybe 50 or 60 more years of life left in you.” He swallowed. “Or less.”

Chloe’s throat closed up as realization sank in. “It’s possible I’ll live longer.”

“A few years, maybe.” He kissed her hand again. “But eventually, you’ll go to heaven. And it won’t matter where I go after that, because everything will be Hell.” 

She’d never wanted to hold him more in her _life_. “Then I won’t go to heaven.” The tears in her eyes spilled over. “I’ll stay in hell with you.”

“No.” He tightened his hold on her hand, eyes flaring a little in the darkness. “I wouldn’t wish my punishment on anyone, let alone you.” The ferocity in his voice made it a vow. “I’d destroy anyone who tried.”

But she could be just as stubborn. “Then come to heaven with me.”

That softened him in a moment, expression turning utterly fragile. “If anyone could make heaven bearable, it would be you.” He leaned forward enough for a quick, hard kiss, pulling away only to lean his forehead against hers. “But not even you can fight God, love.”

“Watch me.” He was still holding her one hand, but she wrapped the other around him as far as it would go and pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m staying with you.”

Chloe could feel the wetness of tears against her neck. “I thought I’d lost heaven when I fell,” he whispered, throat clogged with tears. “But losing this….”

She closed her eyes. “Are you going to go?”

He made a sound that might have been a laugh, if it wasn’t so close to a sob. “Why on _earth_ would I send myself to hell even faster?”

She pressed her cheek tight against his hair. “Then get in this bed with me.”

The chuckle was a little more real this time. “Shall I steal a doctor’s uniform as well? Or a nurse’s?”

She poked him in the shoulder even as a surge of love rose up. “I’m serious.”

He let out a long breath, pressing a soft kiss against her neck. “I know you are, darling.”

Slowly, carefully, he got into the hospital bed without disturbing any of the tubes. He arranged himself so he laid his head on her chest, his ear against her heartbeat, and she wrapped her arms around him as tight as they would go.

Eventually, Lucifer’s voice cut through the darkness. “I would do whatever I had to in order to extend yours and Trixie’s lives,” he rasped. “You can’t trust me.”

“It’s okay.” Chloe pressed her lips against his hair. “That’s just what love is like.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my [original fiction,](https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks) my [blog,](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


End file.
